Out With The Old
by AngelExposed
Summary: Hudson's age is getting him down, but an amulet with the promise of reversed aging gives him new hope - meanwhile, Thailog and Demona are up to their old tricks again.


OUT WITH THE OLD

Authors Note – I wrote this story about three days after I'd seen the first episode of The Goliath Chronicles.  I did not really like the outcome of the first episode which is why Brooklyn and Angela are hinted at possibly becoming a couple, instead of the Broadway-Angela thing, which I DID NOT like at all!  

  Gargoyles are Owned by Disney.

  Hudson was angrier than he'd ever been.

  Goliath had no right to do this, even if he was leader.

  Hudson wanted to go out there tonight.  Get some exercise, maybe get the adrenaline flowing through his old tired veins, give him something to do.

  Goliath's best interests were to keep Hudson safe and healthy, and had rejected the offer of coming on patrol, Hudson was perfectly capable, Goliath knew that just as well as the rest of the clan did.  Still, Goliath worried.  Hudson's eyesight was completely gone in one eye, and the other eye was losing its sight too, making him near blind half of the time.  Hudson's strong muscles seemed to have turned into flab through the years, and the bones in his legs were weakening, and he'd have to make an effort to walk from one hall to the other without getting tired.

  Hudson knew these things were wrong with him.  There wasn't a day that went by that he didn't feel an ache or a pain to remind him of how many years he'd been alive.  He was over a hundred years old.  Because of Gargoyles ageing half the speed of Humans, he'd only be about the equivalent of fifty-year-old human man.  Yet, his age seemed to be gradually taking its toll faster than it should be.  He felt older than he was.

  Oh, how he envied Goliath, being so strong, handsome and capable of anything that came his way, and he envied the innocent youth of the trio, Brooklyn, Broadway and Lexington.  They were capable.  They didn't have to put up with all kinds of pains that made the thought of walking up a flight of stairs unbearable.   They didn't have to worry about how much time they had left.   They had a long time until they were his age.  But Hudson was there now.  And his descent into old age was becoming frightening.

  Hudson was raging inside as he watched the Clan departing from the parapet.  He felt humiliated Goliath had ordered him to stay in the Castle.  Brooklyn, Broadway and Lexington had seemingly all agreed, and the only person who had even seemed sympathetic was Angela, who had given him a sorrowful expression before she'd left, just to let him know that she felt sorry for him.

_  But I don't want to be felt sorry for, he thought, the voice in his thoughts was still young, not like his own husky and dry voice, he wasn't even able to make his voice loud anymore, it took such effort to do this too__.  I want to be young again.  I can't remember what it was like.  Hudson sighed.  It was true.  He couldn't remember how it felt when he had glided through the night air in tenth century Scotland, without feeling the aches that now plagued him every time he took to the air.  He couldn't remember what it was like being able to see out of both eyes, without problems with his vision.  He couldn't even remember what it was like to not ache, or have to take things slow.  He could not remember ever being that young._

  _Either I was never that young, or I'm so old that I just can't remember it, he thought, he lowered his eyes to see Bronx standing by his side.  "An' what of you?  Do you remember me bein' that way?" he asked._

  Bronx tilted his head upwards to look at Hudson, he let out a soft dog-like sigh as if to say _'why are you asking me?  I can't answer anyway,'._

  Hudson laughed softly, and he put his hand on Bronx's head.  "Och, ye were just a Hatchling-Pup when I was just a decade older than Goliath is now…." He petted Bronx's head.

  Bronx smiled widely, a dog like grin, and then gave a playful bark and leapt on to Hudson, forcing him down to the floor, he leaned down and licked his face.

  "He he heh!" Hudson laughed heartily and he tried to fight Bronx off him.  "Stop that!" he chuckled.  He groaned as Bronx pinned him down, a sudden ache to his shoulder reminded him of an old battle wound.

  Bronx barked happily and gave him one last lick, then climbed down, and let Hudson sit up, rubbing his shoulder bitterly.  "Another pain to give Goliath more reasons to keep me off of the patrol," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

  Bronx gave him an apologetic whine and then trotted off, waiting for old Hudson to follow.

  Hudson climbed to his feet, still massaging at his shoulder, a bitter expression playing about his face.  "Growin' old—," he looked for the right word and imagined how Brooklyn would say something like this "really sucks," he finished the sentence, and then chuckled at how the word seemed strange coming from his own mouth.

  "Hey, Hudson."

  Hudson turned to see Elisa Maza standing there, just coming up the stairway to the parapet roof, she was smiling.  "What's up?"

  Hudson moved over and smiled.  "Hiya, Lass.  What brings ye here?" he asked.  "If it's tae see Goliath, I'm afraid he's already left fir the nightly patrol."

  "It wasn't a particular visit, Hudson.  It's just my night off, and I thought that I would spend it with my extended family," she admitted, she grinned.

  Hudson looked at her.  "Well, I be the only one in the castle tonight apart from Bronx, Xanatos, Fox and the wee yin," he said.

  "Lex not around?" she asked quickly.  "I wanted to ask him if he could take a look at my car, see why its not running, I know he's good with mechanical things, and he managed to get it running before."

  "Yuir car broke down?  Again?" Hudson had been hearing this for two weeks.  Elisa's car was a 1964 Classic Convertible.  She was forever having problems with it.   "If yuir old car bothers ye so much, why don't ye just buy a new one?" he asked.

  "Hey, I love this car, I learned to drive in it," she said.  "It was my fathers, before it was mine, and when he had it, it never had these problems," she said.  "Lex thinks it's so old that it's useless…."

_  Kind of like me_, Hudson thought sombrely.

  "Hudson, you look kind of….I don't know….Sad?" Elisa looked concerned.

  "Oh, its nothing," Hudson faked a smile.  "C'mon in, we can watch Television together," he said.  Then bitterly he thought, _it's all that I have left anyway._

A while later….

  "There's never a decent thing on the TV anymore," Hudson grumbled, flicking the Television from channel to channel with the remote control in his hand.  "Why'd they have to cancel all the shows I like?" he asked.

  "The shows you liked, Hudson, were all in their fourth season of reruns.  Its no wonder that the people demanded they be cancelled."

  "They've never shown The Pack TV Series since they were put in prison I see," Hudson said, he pressed the standby button on the remote and the TV immediately turned off.  The room was almost swathed in darkness, apart from the wall light at the back of the room, a dim orange glow lit up enough of the room to see where they were.

  Hudson sighed.

  "Hudson, is there something wrong?" Elisa asked, she was stretched out on the couch, arms folded over her chest comfortable, she cocked her head sideways to see him in the chair, his expression seemed annoyed and yet sad at the same time.

  "Nay," he answered, his voice cold and almost emotionless.

  "Obviously something is wrong, you've been in a mood all night."

  "I'm no' in a mood," he turned to her and stared.

  "What's wrong?"

  "Goliath is treatin' me as if I'm no' capable of bein' one of the clan anymore, and its just no' true," Hudson slammed his hand on the armrest of the chair, his talons sliced through the leather.

  "Of course its not," Elisa got up, and moved over, she knelt beside the chair and looked at him.  "I mean….You're perfectly capable," She gave him her gentlest and most comforting smile.  "My father is over fifty and I still know he's capable of his job," she said.  "And in Gargoyle years, you're only about fifty or something, right?" she asked.  "You're not that old, Hudson….and you don't look that old…."

  Hudson sighed again, resting his elbow on the armrest of the chair, and he leaned his cheek against the palm of his hand.  "Thanks, Lass, but I think I better face the truth that I'm out of it."

  "You're only as old as you feel, right?" Elisa squeezed his arm in a friendly way.

  Hudson frowned, moving a stray lock of grey-white hair away from his forehead.  "Aye.  But right now, I feel older than time itself."

Later On In the Night….

  "Goliath, I'm glad you're back," Elisa said when Goliath landed aside Broadway, and Lexington.  "I want to talk to you," she added.  The clan had just ended early on Patrol.  Elisa noticed that Brooklyn was missing, along with Angela.

  Goliath landed with a heavy-yet-gentle thud on the Castle Rooftop and looked at her.              

  "Ah, Elisa…." He moved over to greet her, smiling gently.

  Elisa looked behind Goliath at Broadway and Lexington, they were leaving to go do whatever they could for the time they have left of the early morning until Sunrise.    

  "Where's Brooklyn and Angela?"

  "I do not know…." Goliath stated, he caped his wings over his broad shoulders, and hid his arms under them.  "They were playing air-tag with us on our way back, and we have not seen them since," he explained, his voice lighter than usual tonight, he sounded almost cheery.

  "Air-tag?" Elisa enquired raising an eyebrow.

  "In our time, hatchlings played air-tag whilst training how to glide, it teaches some impressive and necessary gliding moves that any Gargoyle should know.   Angela and Brooklyn must have strayed accidentally when we were not looking," Goliath lowered his eyes to the ground.

  Elisa grinned. "Are you absolutely sure they didn't stray on purpose?" she asked.

  "I would not know.  I cannot say I have ever noticed that she and Brooklyn have ever done this before, and I certainly have not paid enough attention to her lately to know if she's been hinting at him or not," Goliath smiled.  "Anyway, back to matters of urgency," he said.  "You said you wanted to talk to me?  About something important was it?" he asked.

  "Well, its not a matter of life and death important, but it is important to Hudson, so that makes it important to me," Elisa explained.

  "What about Hudson?" Goliath asked.

  "He's feeling left out," Elisa said.  "Because of his age.  He feels useless, and you're letting him go through all that," she stated.

  "I'm doing that for his own good, you know that I do not wish his being hurt.  His reflexes are not as they once were, Elisa.  His eyesight is extremely terrible in his remaining eye, and he complains of aching joints when he moves," Goliath sighed.  He moved over to the edge of the parapet and leaned on the stone wall, looking out over the Manhattan skyline, the lit up buildings, the neon signs and the late night traffic speeding by, the sound of horns and distant engines drifting up to him.    

  "Putting him on patrol would be like putting a child in a room with Thailog," he added coldly.  "Times have changed, Elisa.  This world is more dangerous than the one we left.  Hudson would not survive its cruelty." He said  
  Elisa frowned, placing a hand on his wing-caped shoulder.  "You're judging him for being old.  Do you know how bad he feels because you're leaving him out of the patrols?!  He feels old and useless, that he's not part of the clan anymore, and that hurts him.  Hudson isn't so old that he can't handle whatever is out there.  I've seen Hudson in action, he's impressive for someone who's over a hundred," she admitted.

  "Elisa, I do not wish for Hudson to be killed," Goliath grumbled, he closed his dark brown eyes, lowering his head, his long dark hair fell over his shoulders and stirred against the high winds.

  "But you're not considering how Hudson feels—!" Elisa folded her arms, turning away.

  "I AM considering how Hudson feels, I'm thinking of his safety…."  
  "Goliath…you let Angela go with you, yet Angela is younger than the rest of the clan, she's no more than a child, she has barely as much experience with Human violence as the rest of the trio and Hudson have, yet you're letting her go on Patrol anyway.  Hudson knows ten times more than what she knows, he has ten times more experience, yet, you won't let him go," Elisa turned back to him, using all her given strength just to turn him so he was looking at her.

  "Angela does not have aching joints, old battle wounds that have not been healing well in stone, and her vision is perfect.  Hudson has vision through only one eye, the other eye is completely useless—!" for an instant, Goliath's eyes flickered to that glowing white they became when he was angry.  Elisa knew better than anyone that Goliath hated to be argued against.  And he especially hated losing arguments.  Goliath, just like anyone, could not accept the humiliation of losing an argument or a fight, even admitting to it did not help.  She knew his moods well from what she'd seen of him for the last three years.  He was terribly stubborn at times, and even though he was wise, and vulnerable, there was a stubborn side to him she'd seen many times.

  "I guess if his eye is useless, then he is too, huh?" Elisa asked in a snap, her eyes squinting.

  "Elisa….I am not doing this for—What I mean is, I am doing this because I am worried for Hudson, we all are, we do not wish to see him harmed.  Any criminal on the streets can take advantage of his age, and I do not wish that to happen to him…."  

  Goliath turned back to look at the city, a stubborn expression on his face.   
  Elisa frowned and looked over the parapet, at the lit up city, the busy neon metropolis of New York.  "I guess its alright to worry, Goliath…" she leaned her arms on the edge of the stone wall and sighed softly.  "I just hate seeing him miserable…" she admitted.

  "So do I," Goliath agreed.  "But I would hate it far more to see him harmed."

Elisa sighed again, and turned to Goliath.  "Sorry I snapped at you," she said.

  "That is alright," he grunted for a moment.  "I must admit, I did snap at you also," he said.

  Elisa turned to look at him.  "I know.  You hate being argued against," she said.  "But face it, G.  You're not always gonna be right.  Even when you think you are," she said.  "And other people are entitled to their own opinions, and my opinion is that Hudson should be able to take part in the things that you do.  It's not fair to exclude him from Patrol.  It's the only exercise he can get," Elisa said.  "And you know he loves a good fight every now and then," she glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes.

  "Elisa, we just went through this.  I would rather Hudson stay out of trouble," Goliath admitted, he sighed, almost like a Lion's sigh, loud and in a grunt.

  "So you think that if he went on the patrol he'd only be getting into trouble, is that it?" Elisa asked.  "Goliath, I don't believe you, that is a terrible thing to say," she moved back.  "Hudson would be appalled if he could hear you!"

  "Elisa, you know I did not mean it like that," Goliath said.

  "Then how did you mean it?" Elisa demanded angrily.

  "I mean I would rather keep him away from danger," he growled.

  "Sounds to me like you just can be bothered having him around!"

  "Don't be absurd!"

  "It's true, isn't it?!" she asked loudly, her fists clenched at her sides  

  "No, it is not true!  Now, if you'll excuse me—?"  
  "Where are you going?" Elisa demanded of him.  "This argument isn't over," She said.

  "It is where I'm concerned," Goliath growled, and he stormed off.

  "No it isn't."

Dominique Destine's apartment – Two Hours Before Sunrise

  Demona lay flat on her stomach with her copy of the Grimorum Acanorum open flat; she flicked through the pages scanning patiently, looking for anything that could be of use to her.

  "Find anything, my Angel?" Thailog, her mate sat beside her on the bed, his large heavy bulk weighed the bed more to one side, making it very uneven.  He had one hand against the area of her back between her wings, massaging the area gently.

  Demona turned to him. "Not yet," She answered, then went back to the book.  Even trying to do evil she could not help but smile, she'd been heart-broken when Thailog had betrayed her, and used her and Elisa Maza's DNA to create Delilah.  Demona thought she had killed him.  She had thought she had seen the last of him but she hadn't.  And when they had met up a month after the deed, Thailog admitted he had only done what he had done because he was blinded by rage, thinking she was still in love with Goliath.

  Demona had never admitted to Thailog that she was still in love with Goliath.  She was far too afraid to.  Thailog had the worst temper.  If he didn't look so much like Goliath, Demona would have never thought that such a creature as Thailog could have came from Goliath's DNA.  It was impossible to think it.  Thailog was nothing like Goliath in personality.  Although in brute strength, looks, physique and voice, he was so much like Goliath it was almost looking at a twin (save the indigo skin, the snow-white hair and the red eyes).  But the similarities ended there.  For Thailog was more intelligent, admittedly, than Goliath or even herself could ever be, and his heart was far more stone than he ever was in the daylight.  Thailog was rough, cruel and cold.  Yet, Demona loved him still.  Somewhere in Thailog, there was a tiny piece of Goliath, which Demona loved.  Thailog did not seem to be aware that Demona only loved him for his similarity to Goliath.  Thailog prided himself on being exceptionally clever, yet, he had not managed to figure Demona out yet, thus, making him not quite, what he said he was to be.

  Demona was still glad to have him back.  There had been nights when she'd cried over the loneliness and the heartache.  Demona had no one really.  Although she put on a hard face, and a cruel nature when in battle, no one would have expected her to be so emotional.  Now, the emotional period was gone.  She was no longer alone.

  Whilst reading, she relaxed as Thailog massaged her aching back, and played with her long fiery red hair.  He seemed extremely gentle tonight.  He was usually rough or extremely unaware of how strong he really was.  Either that or he meant to hurt her those times.

  "What do those words say anyway?" Thailog asked, pointing down to the words on the book in Latin.  Demona had known better to teach him Latin.  She knew even if Thailog did say he loved her, that there were chances he could take the book and double-cross her.  She knew better than that.  At least if he could not read Latin, or pronounce the incantations, he would not be able to do anything with the book.  It was useless to anyone who was not able to understand Latin, read it, or speak it.  Very few Gargoyles had learned Latin.  The Magus in Scotland had taught her to read Latin, and had taught her how to speak it, and to cast spells.  She knew that Brooklyn in Goliath's clan had also learned Latin, though she did not know where from.

  "They just ramble on about the instructions of a useless spell," she said distantly, she closed her eyes, and savoured the feel of his gentle massage.

  Thailog leaned down and kissed her shoulder tenderly.  Demona lifted her head, turned and smiled at him, Thailog leaned forward and kissed Demona with great passion.  Demona, absent-mindedly, forgot about the Grimorum, and did not realise it had fallen off the edge of the bed, until she heard it thud to the floor on its spine.  She opened her eyes, and turned, reaching forward to pick the book up, her eyes catching the instructions, conditions and effects of the spell on the pages.  "Hmm?" she pulled the book back on the bed, Thailog looked over her shoulder.

  "What kind of spell is it?" He asked, recognising her expression of interest.

She smiled.  "A spell to transfer power," she whispered.

  "Transfer power?" he asked.  "What kind of power?"

  Demona read through the explanation of the spell.  "To cast this spell, there must first be a secondary source, usually of the third race," she said.

  "The third race…that would be Oberon's Children, right?" Thailog asked, interest hinting in his voice.

  "Yes," Demona answered.  "According to this spell, by casting it, it can transfer the power from any member of the third race, into any mortal being…." She smirked, her eyes squinting, flickering red for a moment.  "But where to find a fey?" she asked.

  "Where?" Thailog sighed.  "What about that no good trickster who gifted you your human form by light of day?" he asked.

  "Puck?" she asked.  "No, word has it that he can only use his powers for certain things now, if I had his magic, it would be terribly limited," Demona sat up, lifting the book, glancing down at the spell.

  "Would you like to hear what I have heard?" Thailog stroked her hair gently, and kissed her neck.

  "What have you heard?" Demona asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

  Thailog smiled.  "Well, I have spied and listened in on our enemies, the Clan of Wyvern," he said.  "And I overheard them talk of Xanatos's Son, Alexander.  Apparently this child is of the third race," Thailog massaged at Demona's shoulders.

  "What?" Demona asked.  "Impossible, his parents are both human—!" she began.

  "No, listen," Thailog pressed his face against her hair, pulling his arms around her and holding her tightly.  "Apparently  according to what I heard, Fox isn't human, or at least, isn't just human.  I over heard Goliath's Second-in-command talk of The Fey Queen Titania being Fox's mother.  However, Fox lost her ability from it being untrained.  But the child, now he had great magical ability.  I heard the smallest one talk of how this child could do whatever he wished, even for being so young."

  Demona turned to him.  "Do you think it would be easy to take the child?"

  "Well, Xanatos' defences are no match for the two of us," Thailog laughed, a growling laugh, deep, throaty and evil.

  "I could use the power from the child and transfer it directly into me.  I could do anything, even destroy Goliath, and….Elisa…."  
  "My Angel, why do you hold such a grudge against this human?" Thailog asked.  "She is only a puny human, and is no match for you."

  Demona frowned, her lips curled into a snarl.  "It is personal," She lightened up the.  "There are conditions on this spell though," Demona said.  "The spell has to be cast under the light of a full moon.  The next full moon isn't for two nights," she admitted.

  "Why a full moon?" Thailog asked.

  "Well, if its not under a full moon, it won't work at all," she said.

  "What else?" Thailog asked.

  "Hmm….lets see," Demona traced the words with her index talon.  "Also it says here that another condition is that the mortal to which the power will be transferred cannot under any circumstances meddle in the lives of mortal humans," She muttered.  "Just like in Oberon's law.  It forbids Fey from interfering in human affairs," she explained.  "Otherwise, the spell will immediately backfire," she said.

  "Anything else?" Thailog asked.

  "Nothing that will be a problem…." Demona stated simply.  "Oh, it's so wonderfully thought out.  And here, the Gargoyles will never find us," she said.

  "You're wonderful too," Thailog said, kissing her passionately.  "You'll be extremely powerful, you will not need the Grimorum," he said.

  "I know."  
  "Now let us dwell on other things…."

The Next Night – Castle Wyvern 

  Hudson yawned and stretched as he broke free of the stone skin that he had slept in during the day, the aches and pains were now no longer, they had seemingly healed away for the time being.

  Hudson looked down over the city, behind the skyline, the darkness fell into a paler darkness, and grey clouds passed over the black sky.  There were no stars tonight.  There was only the night itself.  Hudson flexed his shoulders and rolled his neck a little to relieve the stiffness from stone sleep.

  "Looks like we're gonna be expecting rain," Brooklyn admitted, lifting his head, glancing up at the clouds in the sky.

  "A little rain never hurt anyone," Hudson admitted.  "Why worry about it?" he asked.

  "I didn't say I was worrying about it," Brooklyn said, turning to see Hudson.  "I was just saying that it looks like rain," he admitted.

  "Are we all going on patrol tonight?" Angela asked of Brooklyn, his being second in command gave him authority especially when it was Goliath's own night off, which it was.

  "No, I don't think we all need to go on patrol," Brooklyn admitted.  "Angela, me, you and Lexington can take on patrol," he said.  "Give Broadway and Goliath the night to themselves," He said.

  "I'll come with ye," Hudson said, spreading his wings wide.

  "No, its not really necessary," Brooklyn confessed.  "Three should be enough on patrol for just now," Brooklyn didn't mean to make it sound so flat.

  Hudson was hurt by Brooklyn's rejection.  He didn't think it was possible that Brooklyn would take the same side as Goliath.  The two were always arguing.  "Are ye sure, Lad?" he asked.

  Angela turned to Brooklyn.  "Brooklyn," she said this tenderly, placing her hand on his arm, Hudson knew the way she said his name that she was in love with him.  "I think it would be good for Hudson to get some exercise," she fluttered her eyelashes at him, Brooklyn's expression spoke many volumes.

  Brooklyn seemed to shake it off, and said, "no, it would be better if he stayed here, where he's out of harms way," Brooklyn climbed up onto the edge.  When Brooklyn thought Hudson was out of earshot, which Hudson was not, he said "Hudson is really old, he's liable to do himself a mischief," he explained to Angela.  "He's so old that he can't remember his own name half of the time," he added, though he knew this fact was definitely not true.

  "It just doesn't sound nice to judge him for his age," Angela blinked, then looked over her shoulder, she knew Hudson was there.   "He's just as brave, and strong as you are."  
  "That's not the point.  He's a threat to the clan if he can't defend himself, and he hasn't been able to do that so well since growing older, Angela…"  
  Angela, obviously upset with what Brooklyn had said, but too shy to argue against it right now, sighed.  "Lets go."

 Whilst wandering….

  Hudson found himself in the room of Xanatos' Private Collection of rare and expensive artefacts found all over the world on many business trips.  

  I might as well give myself somethin' to do, he thought to himself, he looked around at the many sparkling treasures, medallions, trophies, jewels, rare ornaments and everything that you'd ever expect to be in a museum.  Hudson passed by many different things, though his interest was not on anything in particular, except one certain gem that caught his eye.  A red jewel in a Gargoyle-shaped-demon's mouth.  It was red, the brightest red Hudson had ever seen.  It seemed to glow, in a way, it reminded him of Demona's eyes.  This was the way Demona's eyes glowed when she was angry, it was this certain red.  Almost like neon coloured blood.  This colour appealed to him very much.  This was at the end of the hall, even from there, he could see it perfectly, in fact now, he was seeing better than he had for a long time.  Almost as if he were looking at it from both eyes.  

  Reaching the class case it was by, he stared at it.  "Quite a gruesome lookin' thing," he said to himself, putting a hand against the glass case, peeking in.   A small card in front of the red jewel caught his attention, he squatted down so that he could read it, the card gave little info about it, and it didn't seem that interesting.  The first paragraph just gave info on where it was from, which Hudson avoided reading, but the second paragraph only caught his eye and he read carefully.

  The inhabitants of "The Isle Of Jura"  Named it  "The Amulet Of Youth", it is said that however beholds it, will gain their youth within days by wearing it around their neck.  

  Hudson frowned.  "Och, that cannae be right," he muttered to himself, he raised a Gargoyle eyebrow.  "Can it?" he asked.  "Goliath says that most myths have the element of truth," Hudson sighed.  "Och, forget it," he muttered.  "Ye're gonna be old for the rest of yer days, its impossible to turn back the clocks and make yuirself young again, much as I wish it wasn't impossible," he got up and turned, and began to walk away from the glass case.

  "It wouldn't hurt tae try it, though," Hudson turned back to the glass case, and he stepped over to it.  "I don't think Xanatos would mind if I borrow it," he said to himself, he grabbed the small alarm system from underneath the case and ripped it off.  "He'll mind that I had to ruin his alarm though," Hudson lifted the glass case off and put it aside, he reached out and went to pick up the Amulet. 

  "No," he decided, stopping.  "Its no' right to take it without askin'," he admitted, he was about to walk away, then he stopped.  "But I wouldn't be stealing, its just borrowing," he said.  "I don't need to keep it for long.  Just long enough to see if it actually works," he reached out and picked it up, staring at the gruesome way it was made, the sharp fangs gripping onto the red jewel, the red eyes glowing darker, they seemed to flicker for a moment.

  "Och, I'm imagining things," Hudson shook his head and pulled thick leather string around his neck, and hid the Amulet under his clothing so that no one would see it.  "But lets give it a wee test anyway," he said.

  Meanwhile

  Elisa stepped into the Castle Library to see Goliath.  She had heard earlier from Broadway that Goliath was a little upset.  Elisa knew that it was her arguing against him which was causing his bad mood.

  In the Castle Library, Goliath was seated on a step ladder, reading a large, old looking book, with gold trim and lettering, Elisa walked over, slowly.  "Hey," she said.

  Goliath did not speak, instead, nor did he look up from his book to give her any indication that he had heard her announce her presence.  

  Boy, is he in a bad mood, Elisa thought.  "Goliath?"

  Goliath did not answer, he was seemingly moodier tonight than he had been the night previous. 

  "GOLIATH!!" she belted his leg hard.  "Will you stop ignoring me?!" she frowned, her brown eyes squinting, her lips pulled tightly together.

  His eyes left the book and glanced at her for a moment, before looking at the book.

  "Goliath!" she hissed, belting his leg again.  "Will you look at me."

  He turned back to her.  "It is obvious that you believe me as evil as Thailog from banning Hudson from patrol," he growled.  "Do you not believe I know what is best for my clan?!" he demanded.  

  "Goliath, calm down!" Elisa placed her hand on his knee.  "I didn't say I didn't believe you don't know what you're doing, I just don't agree making Hudson feel even older is the answer," she sighed.  "He was very upset yesterday night, Goliath.  He told me he feels older than he is because you're not letting him join in with the patrols…."  
  "Elisa—?" Goliath put his book on the top step of the ladder and he climbed down, and looked down at her, she seemed so small as she stood before him.  Goliath was over seven feet tall.  "Would you rather see Hudson killed?" he asked.

  Elisa frowned.  "What kind of question is that?" She asked.

  "Just answer," Goliath put his large heavy hands on her shoulder.  "Would you rather see him hurt or killed?"

  "No," Elisa answered carefully.  "But I don't want to see him unhappy either," she added.

  "Let me take care of this.  It is not your place to worry about it," he said.

  "It is my place.  I'm a member of the clan, right?" she asked.  "You told me I was part of this clan, and if that's true, then he's my family, and if he is, then I have a right to worry…"

  "Please try not to," Goliath pleaded softly, yet firmly.  "I will take care of it."

  Hours later – after patrol

  Brooklyn let out a yelp as Broadway tried to pounce him, he dodged out of the way, grabbing Broadway by the tail, spinning him around(with difficulty due to Broadway's overweight bulk) and threw him into the pile of mats in the corner of the training room.  "Ha!  Beat ya again!" he said triumphantly.

  Hudson stood in the doorway, unnoticed by the younger generation of his clan.  Angela and Lexington sat on the mats in the corner, cheering on Brooklyn and Broadway, making bets to see who'll win.

  Och, the lad is becoming very egotistical, Hudson frowned folding his arms. 

  Angela, sitting on the pile of mats next to where Broadway had landed, looked down at him and grinned.  "Are you going to let him away with that?" she asked of him.  Not quite ready to lose her bet with Lexington that Broadway was very capable of taking Brooklyn down at least once in ten tries.

  "No way!" Broadway got up and once again attempted to lash out at his brother, but made no successful hit to Brooklyn, Brooklyn managed to kick Broadway over him as he rolled onto his back, throwing Broadway off of him the other way.

  "All right, Brook!" Lexington cheered.  

  Brooklyn got to his feet and waved his hands in the air.  "I am the unbeatable!" he said.

  "We'll see about that!"

  Brooklyn was taken off guard as Hudson jumped him, at first, he didn't know what had hit him, it hadn't been expected.  "Whoah!" he cried, he felt his shoulder hit the floor hard, yet he could not let himself be beat like that.  Not by an old Gargoyle like Hudson.  "Think you can beat me?" Brooklyn asked, coiling his tail around Hudson's neck, and yanking him backwards.

  "Brooklyn, be careful, you'll hurt him!" Angela cried at Brooklyn.

  Hudson grabbed Brooklyn as Brooklyn tried to stand and slammed him back against the floor, pinning him by the shoulders.  "Think ye're so smart now, do ye?" he asked.

  Brooklyn struggled, and used the same trick he had used on Broadway by putting a foot to his stomach and kicking him over his head, But Hudson grabbed Brooklyn and pulled him over with him, which made Brooklyn slam into one of the walls, which was very painful for him.  He let out a cry as his neck jolted too far to one side, and as his cheek belted against the cold stone wall.  "OW!"

  Hudson then grabbed Brooklyn's arm behind his back.  "Give in?" he asked.

  "Not yet, Old one," Brooklyn swiped his strong tail under Hudson's legs and Hudson fell clumsily to the floor, Brooklyn pinned him down quickly.

  "Ye're too sure o' yerself, Lad," Hudson kneed Brooklyn in the groin, Brooklyn let out a roar of agony, and fell down on his side.  "Just because I be old doesn't mean I cannae beat ye in a fight, things are never what they seem, Brooklyn.  Remember that."

  "Whoah!  I cannot believe he did that," Lexington put a hand to his head, his large brown eyes wide.

  "Neither can I…"Broadway clenched his teeth.  "That looked painful."

  Brooklyn sat up, holding onto his groin.  "Ow!" his eyes were glowing white from the anger and pain of being beaten by a one hundred year old Gargoyle.

  "I'm glad that wasn't me," Lexington said. 

  "Me too," Broadway nodded.

  Angela got up.  "Hudson?  Why did you attack so brutally.  I don't think you needed to—!"

  "On the contrary, Lass, I just taught Brooklyn a valuable lesson he won't soon forget," Hudson admitted, he smiled, he was feeling very pleased with himself.  Was the Amulet of Youth making him feel this much stronger and braver?  It felt like it was.  That will teach the lad to say things about my age, he thought.

  Angela moved over to Brooklyn and placed her hand on his shoulder.  "Are you alright?" she asked gently, she couldn't help but give Hudson a worried glance, then she put her attention to Brooklyn.

  "No.  Man that hurt," Brooklyn groaned.

  Angela helped him up.  "Come on…" she said softly, leading Brooklyn and the others off to somewhere else.

  Brooklyn looked over his shoulder, a sort of shocked expression kept playing about his face.  

  Lexington passed Hudson and said "You didn't have to hurt him like that…"

  Hudson didn't care that the younger generation were a little sore at him for doing this, Brooklyn had deserved what was coming to him.  "It served him right."

  "Uh, guys?"

  All five Gargoyles turned their attentions to Fox, stepping into the training room.  

  "Is Alex with you?" she asked.

  "Alex?" Lexington stepped over to Fox. "I left him asleep in his cot, isn't he there now?"

  "No," Fox looked very worried.  "I thought maybe he was with you, Lex," she added, she moved her red hair away from her shoulders.  

  "He probably floated out of his crib, he can do that you know," Lex said.  "I'll help you look, he's probably not far away…."

  "I'm just worried," Fox admitted.  "What if he gets up to one of the parapets and climbs over onto the edge.  This is no place for a toddler without supervision," Fox tried to be calm, but she looked frantic with worry.

  Lex smiled.  "I'll check everywhere.  B.W.?  You coming?" he asked of Broadway.

  Broadway nodded.

  "Brook?" Lex asked.

  Brooklyn groaned.  "In a minute," he said.

  Hudson wasn't asked to help look for the child, he imagined because of his age.

  Angela sighed.  "I'll help look.  Brooklyn, will you be alright?" she stroked at Brooklyn's shoulder gently.

  He gave a vague nod, still surprised it seemed, and looked over his shoulder, once again at Hudson, before hobbling off, still in pain.  The rest of the clan left.

  Hudson smiled flexed his muscles.  "I can feel it, I really am getting' younger," he whispered.

    
  "ALEX?!" Lexington called as he jogged down the hall, Broadway behind him, they were looking for Alex, but had not found him around any of the castle corridors, nor in any of the rooms they had checked.  Distant in the west wing of the castle, they could hear Fox and Angela calling for Alexander too.

  "Where can he be?" Broadway himself looked particularly worried, and he managed to keep up with Lexington as they rushed to find the baby before he done himself an injury.

  "I have no idea whatsoever.  Me and Owen put him down earlier when I got back from patrol….He must have flown up out of the cot and escaped."

  "Do you think that he's gotten outside?" Broadway asked, turning a corner and looking both ways down another hall to inspect that the baby was not anywhere around this area..

  "I hope not," Lex opened the door of one of the small bare rooms Xanatos had neglected to decorate, and sighed.  No one was there.  "If anyone out there got a hold of him, they could put him up for ransom or anything," Lexington frowned.  "That baby is worth a lot of money.  And there are people out there who are willing to take advantage of that."

  "Guys!"

  Broadway and Lexington turned to see Fox standing there, Angela beside her.  "We've searched the entire castle.  Alex isn't here!" Angela informed.

  "Oh, Geez," Broadway frowned.  "We didn't find any trace of him around this wing either," he explained.  

  "I think he's been taken," Fox had tears in her eyes. "What am I gonna do?!" she demanded of Lexington and Broadway.

  Lex frowned.  "Tough choice.  If he has been taken then you'll have to call the police and they'll look for him, but if you call the police, they might find us here…."  
  But Elisa and Matt are the police," Broadway reminded.

  "True, but what if they can't get a hold of this case?" Lexington asked.  

  Fox turned.  "I'm going to call them…." She wiped at her tears with the back of her hand.  "God if anything has happened to my son I'll kill the person responsible," she said bitterly.

  "Who could have got in without being detected by the alarms?" Angela asked of Fox.

  "Someone who knows these alarms," Fox uttered under her breath, she looked at Angela.  "You better collect the clan and get going before someone finds you," She added.  "The police won't take long if they know who my husband is," she said. 

  Angela nodded.  "I'll get the rest of the clan together and we'll go somewhere safe."

  "Do you really think Alex has been taken?" Angela asked of Lex as they were gliding, along with Brooklyn, Broadway, Goliath, Hudson, and Bronx(Bronx was being carried by Broadway).  The clan were making there way on a flight around the city, whilst the police investigated what looked as if it was the kidnapping of baby Alexander Xanatos.

  Lexington turned to Angela.  "Well, he's worth a lot of money.  But what the police can't do, we can," he said.  

  "I wouldn't put it past half of the criminals we've dealt with," Goliath sighed.  "Hyena and Jackal would love to get their hands on that child.  The millions in ransom they would make could cover the costs of a brand new life for them, maybe another upgrade."

  The corners of Lexington's mouth twitched on hearing the names of Hyena and Jackal, he was not too fond of The Pack for reasons of his own.

  "Hudson's pretty quiet," Said Broadway to Brooklyn, inching nearer so he could keep his voice low, but be loud enough for Broadway to hear him.

  "Yeah, he should be.  Man, my groin still hurts," Brooklyn made a face.

  "He said it served you right," Angela said slowing down so she could glide next to them, and talk to them about it.  Hudson was far up front, he wouldn't have been able to hear them.  "Which I don't think is true," she added.  "Unless he was very angry with you for something."

  Brooklyn turned to her, inching closer.  "You don't think I deserved it?" he asked.

  "No, of course not," she reached out, taking his hand in hers.  Much to the surprise of the clan who noticed when she did this, so she let go of his hand.  "Sorry," she whispered back.

  "That's okay," Brooklyn smiled, and winked.

  Lexington slowed down so he was under them and he looked up.  "Do any of you think that Hudson looks slightly different?" he asked.

  "Looks?"

  "Yeah, well, his hair doesn't look as white…" Lexington said.  "I just noticed that when I was flying beside him."

  "What do you mean it doesn't look as white?" Brooklyn asked.  "His hair can't change colour at his age.  It goes white, it stays white."

  "No, it looks darker," Lexington admitted.  "Sort of….greyer," he added.

  "Grey?" Brooklyn looked up ahead, Hudson was flying steadily beside Goliath.  "Hey, you're right, his hair does look darker…."  

  "Those four are whisperin'," Hudson complained at Goliath.

  "And?" Goliath asked turning, looking around to see the four of the younger generation talking and whispering among themselves.

  "And I feel as if they're conspiring against me," Hudson mumbled.

  Goliath looked at Hudson.  "Why would you think—Hudson?  Have you been putting dye through your hair?"

  "Och, Why would I do that?" he demanded.

  "Your hair looks darker…" Goliath said.

  "Really?" Hudson reached up, smiling.  That means the amulet must be working, my hair is turnin' back to the colour it was before I got old.

  "What are you smiling for?" Goliath asked.

  "Just thinking of a funny show I saw on TV," Hudson lied, looking over his shoulder at Angela, Brooklyn, Broadway and Lexington all gliding together.  And they obviously notice the hair changing colour, he thought.

  "Hey!  Look!" Angela's voice was loud, clear as she pointed down to the streets where some sort of mugging was taking place, and there were about ten of the gang.  

  Hudson grunted.  "Hmph, Lets teach them buggers a lesson," he snorted.

  Hudson was the first to take the dive into the streets, the others were sort of surprised by his rushing into battle like this.

  "No, Hudson!  WAIT!!" Goliath cried loudly, diving down after him.

  "I can take them down!" Hudson assured.

  "What the—?!" Brooklyn watched as Hudson dove down into the street.  There was a howl of terror as Hudson grabbed one of the Muggers and slammed him into the wall.  The others made an unsuccessful attempt to attack Hudson, but did not succeed.  Hudson's reflexes now seemed faster than Lexington's it appeared.  Hudson moved like a lion being provoked.  Fists punching, feet kicking, tail swiping and body dodging. 

  I cannae believe it! Hudson thought as he punched one of the muggers in the jaw, causing him to sail back about five feet and drop to the ground like a pile of bricks.  He kept moving to his instinct and found himself coping with all of the muggers.

  When the clan managed to land, after being stopped by a fierce updraft, Hudson had taken out the entire gang.

  He stood there, looking over the ten gang members out cold on the pavement.  Eyes closed, bloody lips and noses, and black eyes.  The victims of the crime had run off, obviously terrified when seeing Hudson rushing down to their aid.

  "Whoah," Lexington whispered, he felt as if he'd said this now many times.  Something about Hudson was changing somehow.

  "Hudson," Goliath reached out and he grabbed Hudson's arm.  "I think it is time that you and me had a talk."

  Dominique Destine's apartment - Sunrise

  "I can't believe we got away with it without any of them actually catching us taking him," Demona said as she lifted baby Alex in her arm.  "Tonight will be the full moon and then his power is mine!" she twirled the baby around, the baby screamed joyfully, he did not seem to realise that Demona was the enemy.

  Thailog stood with his back against the wall, his wings caped over his shoulders, and his white hair was wet from a slight shower of rain before gliding to the castle.  "I agree that it seemed too easy.  But you can count on it that they've notice his absence by now," Thailog watched as Demona put the baby on the bed surrounded by a wall of pillows to stop his falling over.  "But they might not suspect it was us," he added.

  Demona walked over, reaching him she moved his damp hair from his cheeks and pulled him down so that he was leaning down.  She kissed him gently on the mouth, stroking her hands through his wet hair.  

  Thailog moved her back from him.  "How will you manage to take care of the child whilst working?" he asked.

  Demona rolled her eyes. " Oh, I'll find some way or other," she looked over to the window.  "Look, it's not that long until sunrise," she said.

  Thailog put a hand to his chin and looked thoughtful. "I wonder what's going on at the Xanatos Castle right now."

  Castle Wyvern

  "The police suspect one of my employees broke into the castle and walked out with him," David Xanatos said angrily, he stood at the wall of the parapet, his hands clenched.  "The police are questioning all of my employees right now, and no one will be allowed to leave the building until my son has been found."

  "Did you look at security tapes or anything?" Lexington asked.  "Maybe the kidnapper got caught on camera."

  "No.  We had all the security camera's removed when you all started living here," Owen Burnette explained.  

  Xanatos reached out to his wife, Fox, who was crying.  "We didn't want you getting exposed on any tapes here in case someone got a hold of them and used them against you…."  
  Lexington, Brooklyn, Broadway Angela and Bronx were listening to what Xanatos had to say about the police's investigation, while on the other side of the parapet, Hudson and Goliath shouted angrily at one another.

  "You kept taking me off of patrol!"  You don't think I can take care of myself!" Hudson cried.  He had his back turned to Goliath, Goliath stood looking impatient and annoyed.  His eyes kept flickering white, a true sign that he was not pleased with Hudson's strange behaviour.  Especially after Brooklyn and Broadway had told him what had happened in the training room when they were on their way back to the castle.

  "That does not explain why you are beginning to look younger, or why in fact, your left eye is starting to look as if it is healing," Goliath gripped Hudson by the shoulder and spun him around to look at him.  "Why were you so brutal tonight, what has gotten into you?!"

  "Brooklyn deserved what he got!"  
  "WHY?!"  
  "Because he was making fun of my bein' so blasted old!" Hudson spat back.

  "Brooklyn did not deserve to be beaten up for that!" Goliath hissed.

  "Well he did accordin' to me!" Hudson growled.  "Just because I'm the eldest of the clan doesn't make me any less capable!"  
  "Are they always like this?" Xanatos asked lightly, trying to take his mind off his kidnapped son for a few moments. 

  "No…." Angela sighed, folding her arms.  "Please tell us…did the police find any clues?"

  "Just one.  Someone broke into my personal collection and stole one of my most expensive artefacts," Xanatos said.  "The police suspect by the same person who took Alexander."

  "You're being idiotic!  Brooklyn is one of the clan!  THERE IS NO POINT IN FIGHTING AGAINST YOUR OWN FOR A MOUTH SAID WORD!!"

  "I was only proving that just because I'm—!" Hudson was cut off.  
  "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYMORE OF IT!!!"

  "Is there anything we can do?" Broadway asked in a gentle manner, trying to ignore Hudson and Goliath's arguing in the background..

  "It would be extremely helpful if you could search out all our major enemies.  Like The Pack, Savarius, Dracon and all the others.

  Angela nodded.  "Of course.  I can see why they would make the attempt.  Would you be willing to pay ransom?" she asked.  

  "For my son, I would walk barefoot into hell itself," Xanatos growled.

  Goliath gave up with Hudson and turned to look at Xanatos.  "What was stolen?" he asked.

  "I don't actually remember.  I had my mind on other things when the police showed me what had been done to the case, someone tore the alarm off and removed it.  The card is no where to be found.  But I think it was some kind of an amulet or something."

  "Anything special about it?" Brooklyn asked.

  "Nothing that I can think of right now.  The amulet isn't important right now.  Getting my son back is…." He admitted.

  "Of course," Goliath nodded, he walked over, putting his hands on Angela's shoulders.  "I know I would be frantic with worry if someone had kidnapped Angela," he admitted.  

  Owen sighed.  "The Amulet was from Scotland. Apparently it was thought to be Magical, although, I cannot exactly remember what it does…."

  Xanatos sighed.  "The sun is rising…."  
  "We'll start our search for Alexander as soon as the sun sets tonight," Goliath said, climbing into his place for stone sleep.  "And I will pray that Alexander is in safe hands…"

  "Thank You, Goliath," Xanatos nodded.

  The Gargoyles took their places for stone sleep and transformed into stone as the light hit them.  They would rest, and then they would take off in a desperate search to find the baby.

Dominique's Nightstone Unlimited Office – 11am

  Dominique looked at the red-headed baby sitting opposite her on the desk, his chubby little hands running over a stuffed toy she'd bought earlier that morning.  I hate children, she thought to herself, keeping her eyes on the baby, watching as he played, his green eyes darting around the room, then staring back at her, his smile wide and in wonderment. 

  "Wex?" baby Alexander asked, looking around.  "Agoy?" he then asked, pointing to Dominique.

  "Gargoyle," Dominique corrected.

  "Gagoy?" the baby asked, reaching out, and slapping her face playfully.

  "Yes," Dominique sighed.  She didn't fancy the aspects of being a mother again, she hadn't brought up Angela, though she would have liked to, she didn't really want to have to spend much time with Alexander Xanatos.  

  "Miss. Destine?"  
  Dominique heard the slight knock at her door and she pulled the baby onto her lap, holding her to him.  "Come in," she said.

  Her new personal assistant, a girl called Halle Munroe, stepped in.  "I have all your messages right here," she said.  Halle walked over, placing the small pile of message cards on the desk.  "Oh, what a darling little baby," she commented.  "Who's is he?" she asked.

  Dominique quickly looked for an answer.  "My…uh…He's Alexander Thailog's nephew…" she admitted.

  Halle had no idea that Alexander Thailog was really a Gargoyle.  No one had ever seen him, yet, his name was known all over this building and in the richer section of New York.

  "What's his name?" Halle reached over the desk and tickled the child's chin.

  Alexander cooed and giggled.

  "Alexander," Dominique answered flatly.  "Mr. Thailog has asked me to take care of him today, but I have barely got the time for that.  So will it be alright if I leave him with you?" she asked.

  Halle nodded.  "Yes, miss," she said.  She reached over and picked the child out of Dominique's lap, and rested him on her hip. "Is there anything you need?"

  "Cancel my twelve O'clock appointment," Dominique ordered.  "That will be all, Halle."  
  Halle gave a nod and left with Alexander.

  Dominique smiled once she was alone, removed the copy of the Grimorum from her bottom desk drawer and opened it at the page of the spell she was planning to use on the full moon tonight.  "My plan is going accordingly."

  Castle Wyvern – Sunset 

  The Gargoyles awoke with energetic jolts when the sun finally set over New York.  They gave loud yawns, and stretched and flexed as they looked around.  

  "Hi guys," Elisa stood behind them, leaning against the wall.  They would have expected to see her up on the top parapet with Goliath.

  "Hi," Brooklyn said.  "Still not talking to Goliath?"

  "No, we sorted something out," Elisa said.  She turned to look at Hudson to see if he seemed any brighter and cheerful than he had the other night.  

  What she saw there though didn't appear to be Hudson.

  He was younger.  Far younger.  Hair blacker than Goliath's, and a body as slim as Brooklyn's, arms as well developed as Broadway's, and a smile almost like Lexington's.  Both eyes were dark, yet bright and alert.  Sparkling.  This Gargoyle didn't look as old as Goliath did.  Yet, it was Hudson.  Missing a beard, but still it was him.

  Hudson smiled.  "Och, I feel twenty years younger," he said.

  Brooklyn blinked as he glanced at Hudson.  "Yeah?" he asked, still in completed shock.  "Hudson….What have you been up to?" he asked.

  "Nothing, why?" Hudson asked.  

 Elisa reached over, and fingered his black hair.  "Hudson.  You look as young as the trio!" she said.

  "What?" he asked.  He dashed off quickly to look in the mirror in the nearest corridor.

  "What is going on?" Elisa asked.

  "I have no idea," Brooklyn said.  

  "He looks about twenty!" Elisa said.  "And his eye doesn't look like its scarred anymore," she added.

  "Maybe Alex put a spell on him," Lexington said.

  "If he did, then he'll have to take it off of him," Elisa said.

  "But he can't.  Not until we find him at least…" Brooklyn muttered.

  "I dinnae believe it!" Hudson appeared moments later.  His eyes wide.  "I'm young again."

  "Yeah, but how?!" Brooklyn demanded.

  "The Amulet…." Hudson took the Amulet out of his clothing and held it up.  "It's taken back the ageing process," he danced around happily.  "The aches, the pains, the blindness, the weakness, its all gone!" 

  Goliath glided down.  "What is going on?!" he demanded, looking at Hudson.

  "He stole Xanatos' Amulet to make himself young again," Brooklyn admitted, snatching the Amulet from Hudson.

  Angela belted it out of Brooklyn's hand.  "If holding it made Hudson young, imagine what it could do to you!" she said.  "You could turn into a hatchling…."  
  "Oh, yeah," Brooklyn said.  

  "Hudson, you cannot stay like this…." Goliath said.  "We will find Alex, and Puck will teach Alex how to change you back to your original age."  
  "I don't want ta go to my original age.  I want to stay young…." Hudson said.  "At least if I'm young I get the respect and treatment I deserve…"

  "Hudson," Elisa frowned.  "It makes no difference if you're young or old….You're still a part of the clan…."  
  "No…ye dinna understand!" Hudson reached back, running a frustrated hand through his inky hair.  "Old, I'm useless…"

  "You're not useless!" Brooklyn said. 

  "Then why did ye no' let me go on patrol?!" Hudson demanded.

  Brooklyn frowned.  "Because if you got hurt, I would have never been able to forgive myself!!"

  Lexington tapped Goliath's wing. "I thought we were going to look for Alex…."

  "Yes…." Goliath said.  

 Elisa looked up at Goliath.  "Goliath, I brought someone who might be able to help you find him."

  "Who?" Goliath asked.

  "Her name is Whitney Pryde.  She's a psychic, she can trace people through using her mind…."  
  "And you think she can help?" Angela asked.  "What is a Psychic?" she asked, turning to Brooklyn.

  "A person who can read minds and stuff," Brooklyn said.  

  "She does a lot of missing person cases," Elisa said.  "And she's usually successful."  
  "Alright, where is she?" Goliath asked.

  "She's down in the main hall talking to Fox and David," Elisa admitted.    

  "We'll give her a try," Goliath nodded.  "Lets go….Hold on—," he stopped short.  "She knows about us?"  
  "Through me, like I said, she's psychic, she said she knew I knew you guys," Elisa said.  

  "So you didn't tell her, she found out herself?" Goliath asked.

  "Yes…."  
  "Ooooh.  She must be good," Broadway said.    

  "Lets hurry…." Brooklyn said.  "Before Hudson gets any younger," he said.  "I don't fancy Baby-sitting right now."  
  Hudson sneered.  "Dinnae you be so Cheeky.  Remember that I can beat you in fight any day of the week…" Hudson began to follow on with the rest of the clan, Bronx, who seemed surprise, followed too, sniffing at Hudson's hand as he done so. 

  Hudson couldn't help but smile, he felt so young, so free.  He couldn't' wait to take to the air and glide without feeling the pain in his wing bones again.  He looked forward to being able to manoeuvre through the sky as easily as Brooklyn and Lexington did.  Beating Brooklyn in a fight had made him feel so good.  He felt as if he could do anything right now.  As if he could take on the world and win.  I could even do a better job leading than Goliath, Hudson frowned, a sly smile crossed his lips.  

  Reaching the main hall, they were introduced to Whitney Pryde.  She was a plain looking young woman, around twenty three, with big brown eyes, frizzy brown hair, and large thick lips, that suited her round face, she was tall, slim, and her skin was a shade lighter than Elisa's.  Her face betrayed no surprise seeing the Gargoyles.  Yet, she moved over and said "From what I saw of you all in Elisa's thoughts, you didn't look so scary….now I'm not so sure," she put a hand to her heart, staring at Goliath. 

  "What did you see of us….in Elisa's thoughts?" Lexington was curious.

  "Never mind.  I know where the child is….I can't pinpoint and tell you exactly where he is, but if you can get me there…."

  "How will you know?" Goliath asked.

  "I can feel it….I know it sounds weird.  But I've seen his pictures, I've touched his clothing….I can find him if he's out there, and he is…."

  "Close?"  
  "I can't tell yet," Whitney pushed back her brown hair from her cheek. 

  "Lets go then," Brooklyn said.  "I'll carry you," he said.

  "Carry?" Whitney asked, then she eyed up the wings.  "oh, no, we're not flying are we?"  
  "Gliding," Brooklyn said.  "And it's the only way we can get around," he added.  

  Dominique Destine's Apartment  - A short while later

  Demona held Baby Alexander up into the air. "Soon, child, soon, as soon as the clouds pass from the moon, your powers will be mines…."  
  Thailog growled affectionately at Demona.  "You'll have everything you desire, beloved."  
  Demona put the child on the bed, and moved over to Thailog.  "Keep on the look out, I don't want interference from Goliath and his clan," She explained. 

  Thailog nodded.  "Of course," he said, his voice low, a throaty growling voice.

  "Open the balcony doors," Demona ordered to Thailog, she moved over to the bed, and sat down next to the child, and ran her hands tenderly over his hair.  "Now, Little one," she spoke in a very motherly voice.  "Now your powers will be mine," she reached over and picked up the Grimorum from the cabinet.

  Alexander let out a howl, as if he suddenly knew what the two demons had in store for him, Demona picked him up and put him on the floor, where the moonlight was shining down from the balcony doors.  She opened the book at the page of the spell she planned to use and she began chanting in Latin.  

  Her words seemed to echo, this was a long spell, it would take many minutes to complete.  Thailog watched in amazement as the Baby began to glow a pale light shade of green, his eyes were glowing white, and his soft curls of ginger hair began to stir as if moved by the wind.  

  Demona's chanting went on and on, casting her spell loudly.

  Not far away – 

  "He's very near!" cried Whitney, she had her eyes closed tightly, holding onto Brooklyn's neck, resting her head against his shoulder.  "He's in danger!!"  
  "Danger?!" demanded Goliath.

  "Yes….he's with someone who poses a threat….." Whitney opened her eyes.  "Hair as red as blood and skin as blue as the early evening sky…."  
  "Demona!" Brooklyn was the first to hiss.  "She must be planning to use Alex in one of her spells…."

  Hudson flew aside Goliath.  "Sounds like something Demona would do," he said to Goliath.  He moved easily through the sky, his wings did not ache as they usually did, and he found it possible to move freely through the air like Brooklyn and Lexington could.  He revelled in it.

  "I agree," Goliath said.  "We cannot allow this to happen," he said.  "And we need the child to put you back to your real age."

  "No!" Hudson hissed.  "Yuir not taking away my youth…." 

  "Anything else you can see?" Lexington asked of Whitney.  
  Whitney closed her eyes again.  "I see him….he's….with someone else.  Someone who looks like you Goliath, but isn't you….he's far more evil, far more cruel….he has plans for the child….you have to stop him now!"

  "Thailog!" Goliath growled.  
  Brooklyn kept a firm grip on Whitney.  He didn't know if what she was saying was actually true, but kidnapping Alexander sounded like something Thailog and Demona would do to use him in one of Demona's evil spells. 

   "Where are they?" Lexington asked.  

  Whitney turned and looked down at one building in particular, balcony doors open, the lights on inside, and a dark figure stood near there.  "THERE!!!"

  "We're goin' in!" Hudson said.

  "No!" Goliath said.  "Hudson, you take Miss. Pryde somewhere safe and stay with her until this is over," he commanded.  "That's an order!"

  Hudson frowned.  "Och, yuir kiddin'!" He cried.  "I could take Demona out in seconds flat."  
  "It's an order!" Goliath roared.

  Brooklyn moved over and handed Whitney over to Hudson.  "Here, take her."

  Hudson had but little choice, he took Whitney in his arms and began to glide off with her whilst the rest of the clan went head on into danger.

  "Why don't you want to go back to your original age?" Whitney asked.

  Hudson looked at her. "How did ye know about that?" he asked.

  "It was in Goliath's thoughts just now.  When people are thinking, I usually pick up their thoughts, its not something I can really control most of the time, and when Goliath thought about it just now, his thoughts explained what had happened," she admitted.  "So why don't you want to go back to your own age?" she asked.

  "Because I get more respect being young," Hudson admitted.   "While I'm old, I get a lot of cheek from the Clan, and a lot of ill treatment.  I get left out…."  
  "Did you ever think they might be doing that because they love you?" Whitney asked of him.

  Hudson frowned.  "Aye, I tried to think of that many times but it didn't so me no good.  I can't go on with all the aches and pains every day of my life," he admitted. 

  "Can we land?  I'm getting air sick."

  Demona stood still as she readied herself to take on the powers of the baby on the floor.  He was screaming, probably terrified from the flashing lights that were coming from his own body.  A ball of green light lifted from Alexander, and began flickering as it began shooting towards Demona, Demona stood perfectly still, ready to accept the ball of light, the power of this child.   A hard shove from Thailog and she found herself to the floor, she let out a cry of surprise and watched as Thailog as hit by the ball of green light, at first he struggled violently with it, then he let himself be washed over by the light, and he roared in triumph, laughing loudly, an evil laugh. 

  Demona put a hand to her mouth.  "No," she whispered.

  Her fear crept in beside her, Thailog HAD been using her all along.  Again.  Not only that now he was all powerful, and just as immortal as she was.  "NO!" she screamed.

  Thailog and Demona were both caught by surprise by what happened next.  Goliath dashed through the balcony doors, leapt upon Thailog and threw him to the floor, trying to strangle him.

  Demona was brought down by Broadway and Brooklyn, Angela tried to help her father take down Thailog, while Lexington picked up Alexander and took him somewhere safe to look after him for now.

  Thailog furiously shot a beam of green light from his hand directly at Goliath's chest, Goliath roared in agony and dropped to the floor, leaving Angela to fight off Thailog as pulled Goliath into the air with a ball of green light, stealing the energy from Goliath as easily as he would beat up a child.    
  "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Angela shrieked, dragging her talons down Thailog's wing, Thailog was harmed, blood dribbled down the three slash marks down his left wing, he didn't cry out in pain though, he simply swatted Angela back as if she were a fly, Angela fell to the ground, groaning.

  Thailog dropped Goliath once stealing almost all of his energy from him, then put his attention on Angela, doing the same thing he had done to Goliath, he was now stealing her energy too.  And there was nothing that she could do about it.  "HELP!" She screamed, reaching out a hand for Brooklyn, who was nearest to her.

  "Angela!" Brooklyn let Broadway continue fighting with Demona, whilst he tried to help Angela, touching the ball of green light only caused an electric sensation to go through him, he let out a cry, and moved back, holding his arm. 

  "LET HER GO!!!" 

  Hudson flew through the balcony doors, straight at Thailog with his sword pointed in his direction, he sliced into Thailog's right shoulder, and listened as the larger Gargoyle howled in pain.   Hudson imagined a lion with that howl.  So loud, it was almost frightening.

  Thailog slashed Hudson straight across the face.

  Angela, relieved of the ball of light draining her energy, fell to the floor; Brooklyn rushed to her aid, pulling her into his arms.  

  "Are you alright?" Brooklyn asked.

 Angela groaned softly, leaning back in his arms.  "Thanks to Hudson…"

  Brooklyn could tell that Angela had not been drained of all her energy as Goliath had been.

  "Ohhhh….." Goliath groaned as he leaned up, almost deprived of all his energy.  He looked up to see that Hudson and Thailog were fighting.

  Hudson struggled with Thailog violently, Thailog, weakening from the loss of blood, tried to use the powers he'd taken from Alexander, but Hudson managed to dodge the beams of light, and hit Thailog as much as he could.  Punch drunk and weak from the loss of blood, Thailog lashed out clumsily, but was getting no where.

  Brooklyn, Broadway and Lexington took harsh attempts to get the Grimorum from Demona's grasp, she fought angrily at the three, and was mostly succeeding.  But Broadway's weight against her, Brooklyn's strength pinning her down, and Lexington's grip on the book made it almost impossible for her to fight back.   Eventually, with Lexington giving a hard yank, she let go of the book, and turned her attention to clawing and scratching at Brooklyn and Broadway.

  "Goliath!" Lexington tossed the book over to Goliath.  

  Goliath caught the book, and began searching through it, he could not fully read Latin, so he was toiling with trying to find the spell Demona had used.

   "UH!" Demona kicked Broadway off of her, and slashed Brooklyn in the face with her talons.  She struggled to get to her feet, and she dashed towards the balcony doors, and leapt out into the sky, she'd escaped. 

  Brooklyn, gasping for breath watched as Broadway, Angela, Lexington and Hudson all dragged Thailog down to the ground, and held him down.  Quickly, he moved over to Goliath, who was kneeling with the Grimorum in his hands, flicking through the pages.  "Found it?" he asked.

  "No…." Goliath sighed.  "There are so many…."  
  Brooklyn took the book and began flicking through it.  "I know Latin, let me see….I heard the last few words in the spell before we attacked," he said.  "He tried to concentrate as he scanned the pages, but between the cries coming from Thailog, the screaming child in the corner, and his own heavy breathing, he found it almost impossible to concentrate.

  Goliath stood up, stumbled and then managed to gain his balance, he looked over Brooklyn's shoulder.  

  "Here it is!" Brooklyn said, he placed his index talon on the page, and tapped it.  "Lex, get Alex…." He said.

  Lexington ran over the corner he'd left Alex in and picked the crying baby up in his arms, he put the baby in front of Brooklyn and stood back.

  "Okay, um…." Brooklyn frowned.  "Is the moon out?" he asked.

  Lexington moved over to the balcony and looked out.  "Yeah, full moon."  

  "Okay….um…." Brooklyn found himself nervous.  He closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and began reading from the page of the counter-spell.  He could not help but almost stutter, the spell was long and complicated, and he was nervous for his clan, should Thailog escape at any moment, any one of them could get hurt, but somehow, Brooklyn managed to speak the spell correctly.  On the floor, still with Angela, Hudson, Broadway and Lexington holding him down, Thailog began to glow a pale green, and he was crying out.  That light began to form into a ball above him, and through the air it shot, straight into Alexander, the child let out a scream, and Brooklyn hurried to make sure the child was alright, to make sure he had not performed the spell wrong.  He picked the child up and looked at him, Alexander seemed fine, apart from his cheeks being stained with tears, and his constant screaming, he seemed alright.  Brooklyn let out a happy sigh of relief.  "I think it worked…"

  Lexington got up, wiped the blood from Thailog's bleeding wound on to his Loincloth, walked over, and took the child from Brooklyn.  "Its okay, Alex.  Its alright," he soothed the child.  Alexander had a great fondness for Lexington, and Lexington was good at calming the child down.  "You're going home now…" he rocked the baby gently in his arms, and Alexander soon calmed his crying down to a miserable sob.

  "Is he alright?" Angela asked, keeping her knee against Thailog's back.

  Lexington raised an eyebrow.  "Well, he's wet…that's about it."  
  "Ew," Brooklyn made a face.

  Goliath sighed.  "So our next problem is Hudson…." His eyes darted to Hudson, Angela and Broadway pinning Thailog down.

  "I'm no' goin' back to bein' old!" Hudson growled.   
  "Uh….Guys…." Broadway noticed that Thailog had stopped moving, and stopped crying out.  "He's…um…not moving…"

  Goliath moved over slowly, taking his time to ensure that he did not fall from his own weakness.  He reached down and touched Thailog's neck, searching for a pulse, his expression spoke for him, his eyes widened and his mouth dropped, he shook this off and lowered his head.  "He is dead."

  "No way!" Broadway jumped off of him as quickly as Angela did.

  "Dead?" Hudson asked.

  Goliath stared down at the pool of blood on the floor.  "From loss of blood no doubt," he said.  "Alexander's powers, and immortality would have been keeping him alive….once the powers were taken back…."

  Angela put a hand to her mouth.  "But—," she blinked back tears, she'd never seen a dead body before, and even through all she knew that Thailog had done, it seemed he didn't deserve to die.  "Can't you-Can't you do something?!" she demanded of her father.

  Brooklyn moved over to Angela.  "There is nothing we can do," he placed his hand on her shoulder, and squeezed it. 

  Angela thrust herself against Brooklyn and began crying, for which reason, Brooklyn had no idea, but he comforted her as best he could.

  Goliath looked at Hudson.  Goliath's cold stare was enough to make Hudson shudder.

  "I didnae mean to kill him…." Hudson looked at his blood smeared hands. "He….He wouldn't have thought twice about it if he were the one killin' you…."

  Broadway patted Goliath's shoulder.  "It was in a fight, that means its….okay, right?" he asked.

  "No!" Goliath hissed.  "Killing is never 'okay'," he growled.

  "You know what he meant," Brooklyn said, wrapping his wings around a sobbing and shuddering Angela.  "The kill in the heat of battle is perfectly allowed, it was self defence, or rather….in Angela's defence," he explained.   "Hudson didn't know that would kill him anyway," he stroked Angela's hair.  

  Angela sobbed.  "Are you sure he's dead?" She asked of her father, pressing her cheek against Brooklyn's bare shoulder.

  "Yes," Goliath stepped over and put his hand against his daughter's hair.  "Why do you cry?" he asked softly.  "He was not part of our clan, and he did try to kill you….."

  Angela raised her head from Brooklyn's shoulder.  "He was part of you…." Angela whispered.  "As am I…." She added.  "In a way, he was my brother…." She wiped at her tears.  "And if I do not cry for him, then who will?"  
  "Good question," Brooklyn sighed.  "Demona won't.  Considering he double crossed her, I think the spell was meant for her…."  
  Angela looked at him.  "She was in love with him.  She doesn't even know….Who will tell her….Surely we can't leave him here for her to find…."

  "You're right," Hudson said.  "I propose we take the body, give it a burial somewhere, and leave a note here for Demona, telling her of what happened….." 

  Goliath sighed.  "Broadway and I will take Thailog somewhere quiet and bury him.  Brooklyn, Hudson, Lexington and Angela, you can all go back to the Castle and See that Puck finds a way to have Hudson Changed back to his original age…."  
  Brooklyn sighed.  "Goliath….if you don't mind.  I think I better stay back to tell Demona of what happened," he said.  "It's only fair…."  
 Goliath sighed too.  "Agreed.  She would want to be the first to know, after all, Thailog was her mate."

  Hudson sighed.  "I don't want to go back to my own age."

  Goliath grunted.  "You do not have a choice."  
  

  Castle Wyvern….

  "So we need to change Hudson back to his original age," Angela finished telling the nights events to David and Fox Xanatos not long after they'd returned to the castle.

  "But how did he get to be so young?" Fox asked, looking at Hudson.  

  "He stole Mr. Xanatos's Amulet," Angela said.  "Its lying over on the other parapet, we didn't want to touch it in case it did anything to us."  
  "Ah, the Amulet of Youth," Puck(Usually Owen Burnette at other times) said simply.  "Well, it's worth a shot.  I don't know if Alexander's magic can turn the tables from something caused by another source, but we could give it a try…." Puck lifted the child from Fox's arms.  "You willing kid?" he grinned.

  Alexander giggled, and patted Puck's face, tugged a lock of his fine white hair and tried to eat it. 

  Puck put a stop to the child devouring his long white hair and turned to Lexington.  "You willing to let Alex work his magic through you?" he asked.  "makes it easier for the kid if you back him up a little…." He added.  Puck levitated the baby into the air.

  Lexington shrugged and then nodded, and moved over.

  Puck twiddled his fingers in front of Alexander, and the baby vanished.  Lexington jolted forwards for a moment, blinked and then turned to see Puck.

  "Okay, kid, you ready?" Puck asked.

  Lexington(Alexander) Nodded.

  "Repeat after me 'Now Gargoyle, Brave and Bold, change back your age from Young to old."

  Fox rolled her eyes.  "You're making that up as you go along, aren't you?" she asked.

  Puck grinned.  "Well, it gets attention.  A spell without words doesn't really seem interesting."

  "Now…Gargoyle….Brave and Bold….Change back—?" Lexington (Alexander) Stopped, and frowned.

  "Your age…." Puck reminded.

  "Change back your age….from young to old…." Lexington(Alexander) raised a hand and waved it to the side, Hudson fell to his knees, and held onto his face, his body began to change shape, and his hair, once black, new changed back to his old white hair again, his left eye was once again scarred and useless.  

  "Hudson?" Angela asked.  "Are you alright?" 

  "Aye….just….ow…." Hudson groaned.  "The aches and Pains returned…"

  Angela smiled.  "Hudson, it doesn't matter if you're young or old, we still love you…." She said.

  Hudson sighed.  "That's nice tae hear, Lass."

  Dominique Destine's apartment….

  Brooklyn felt like he had waited an eternity for Demona to return, but it had only been fifty minutes.  He'd been dreading what he was going to say.  He was tempted to break it to her coldly in spite for all that she had done.  But even Demona did not deserve such coldness.

  Demona landed, she did not seem aware that he stood in the corner of the dark bedroom, leaning against the wall.  She stepped forward, limping a little, and she reached the dressing table, placing both hands on the wooden counter top, she sighed.

  Brooklyn took one quiet footstep, she did not hear, he took another, and another, and stopped when he was only seven feet away from her.  "I have news," He said.

  Demona spun around.  For about a second, her face was full of fear, but when she saw who had snuck up on her, she frowned, and gave a bitter snarl. 

  "I'm not in the mood for fighting.  I stayed back because I thought you'd want to know," Brooklyn spat out, he folded his arms.  

  "Say it then leave!" Demona hissed.  She turned away, placing her hands back on the dressing table.

  Brooklyn stepped one foot forward, then paused, he didn't know how to say it.  He didn't want to say it with sincere sorrow, he hated Demona, he didn't want her crying on his shoulder.  He didn't want to say it bitterly because he felt that even Demona didn't deserve that kind of cruelty.  "Thailog lost in battle….and died…."  
  "What?!" Demona turned back to him, her eyes wide, glistening.

  "There was nothing we could do," Brooklyn added.

  "No….it can't be…." Demona didn't know whether to cry or to scream 'murder' at Brooklyn.  She dropped to her knees, tears pouring down her cheeks.

  "There," Brooklyn said. "Now I've said it.  I can leave," Brooklyn turned, and dashed off into the night, leaving Demona alone with her thoughts, her tears and her angry words.

  Castle Wyvern, moments before Sunrise…

  Goliath and Hudson stood together at the top parapet, Hudson still sombre, and upset from having to change back to his age.  Now that Goliath had seen him so long, Hudson looked older than time now.  Each of the lines on his face told a different story.  

  "Brooklyn said that Demona took Thailog's demise rather badly…." Hudson said, breaking the long silence.

  "I would not be surprised.  How disillusioned could she have been?  Thailog did not care for her in the slightest," Goliath took his place.  

  "Goliath?" Hudson asked.

  "Yes?" Goliath did not turn back to see Hudson.

  "Do ye think I'm a murderer?" Hudson asked.

  "You're only a murderer if you wanted Thailog to die…."  
  "I….didn't want it to happen like that," Hudson lowered his eyes.   

  "Hudson….I want you to apologise to Brooklyn…..for what happened in the training room," Goliath said.  "I do not want him holding a grudge against you for that…." Goliath sighed.  "Clan do not hold grudges.  It is not the Gargoyle way."  
  Hudson sighed.  "Alright," He agreed.  He climbed up onto the edge of the parapet, just before leaping into the air to glide down, he looked at Goliath.  "I guess I owe you an apology too," he admitted.  "I put myself before the clan," he said.  "I know I caused no real threat….but I was awfy selfish, and that's no' like me."

  Goliath looked up at the sky.  "You better hurry…."

  Hudson nodded, and leapt into the sky and glided down to the rest of the clan.  Angela and Brooklyn stood together, talking about something, Hudson felt he had to interrupt, so he tapped Brooklyn's wing, and Brooklyn looked down.  "I want tae say I'm sorry," Hudson confessed.  "For what happened in the training room…."  
  Brooklyn squatted down, so that he looked at Hudson from his level.  

  "I mean….Ye didnae deserve to be beaten up like that…." Hudson sighed, and put his hands on his hips.  "These past few days have been a roller coaster of everything…." He said.

  Brooklyn shrugged.  "That's okay.  I  shouldn't have made fun of you for being old…" he admitted.  "Well, it wasn't so much as making fun of you, as it was just ignoring your want to be part of the patrol….I just didn't want to be the cause of something bad happening….if you'd been hurt because of your….inability to protect yourself against a gun or a knife….I'd have never forgiven myself."

  "Lad….the day I cannae protect myself, is the day I'm as dead as Thailog," Hudson hated himself for saying it, and he saw a pang of emotion in Angela's face, she moved over to her place and squatted down, looking over the city.  "If I could turn back time, I'd wipe that mistake of the slate," he added.  

  Brooklyn turned, looking at Angela, too far down the parapet to hear their talking.  "She's still a little upset," Brooklyn admitted, nodding in Angela's direction. 

  "Aye, I know," Hudson folded his arms.  "Brooklyn….I'm really, really sorry about what happened…." 

  "Me too," Brooklyn reached out his hand.  "Friends?" he asked.

  Hudson gripped Brooklyn's hand in comradeship and smiled.  "Friends…."

  The sun arose at that moment, and as the light touched the Gargoyles, they turned to stone, Hudson and Brooklyn were caught as stone that way, and Goliath stared down over the city like a guardian angel, as he too, became stone.  All was peaceful.  The end of another adventure, and stone sleep would heal their wounds.  They would dream of a better place while they slept, and Hudson would dream of his lost youth. 

  The Xanatos's would go about their daily lives, and Elisa would go to work.  Everything would be normal again.  But for how long?


End file.
